P. Alstergren et al., DETERMINATION OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT FLUID CONCENTRATIONS USING VITAMIN-B-12 AS AN INTERNAL STANDARD, European journal of oral sciences, 103(4), 1995, pp. 214-218
The aim of the investigation was to test the reproducibility and accur
acy of a new method to measure temporomandibular joint (TMJ) fluid con
centrations of various substances by saline washing, using exogenous B
-12 as a marker. An in vitro test was first performed with glucose as
a test substance. The difference between a B-12-calculated and known s
tandard concentration of glucose was very small, Saline washing of the
TMJ was performed on 13 patients having signs of TMJ arthritis, and t
he aspirates obtained were analyzed for neuropeptide Y-like immunoreac
tivity (NPY-LI) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Vitamin B-12 was m
ixed with the saline immediately before injection, and a sample of the
aspirate was later compared photometrically with the injection soluti
on. There were positive correlations between saline aspirate and joint
fluid concentrations for NPY-LI and IL-1 beta, and the correlations w
ere stronger for saline aspirates with high joint fluid content. This
study shows that the method is reliable for measurement of joint fluid
concentrations of various substances, such as NPY-LI and IL-1 beta.